KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

 

From the heart of the Creator

Who shows His love for humankind

by preparing a universe–

a perfect environment

 to sustain all forms of life;

What better message

and best proof of Divine LOVE

could humanity expect

than His Created world which,

in His Divine providence,

He designed not only as ‘good’

but ‘very good’!

 

The stage was set

before the the first of humanity

entered the scene.

What an all wise Creator

is our God of Love,

YHWH,

Blessed be His Holy Name!

 

With each setting of the life-nurturing

and light-giving sun,

the Master Designer of the universe

reminds us that a new day begins,

not facing another day to labor,

but winding down to a good night’s rest.

 

And at the end of our six day work-week,

rises the Queen of Days

just as His sun sinks in the horizon

from our view,

signaling it is time

to kindle the Sabbath lights!

And whether alone

or together with family or friends,

we reflect on the

Wisdom of Divine Providence

that fill the days of our lives

with messages of love

from the very heart of our great God

YHWH,

Praised be His Holy Name.

 And as if all that the Creator had prepared

for humankind were not enough,

by His grace

and because of His love for us,  

created beings He made in His image,

He did not leave us ignorant of

His Will,

His Wishes

and His Way —

designed for humanity

to live with one another,

connected always to Him

through His Tree of Life,

His Revelation in His TORAH,

which He gifted to humanity

through His chosen people,

that they might live in peace and harmony

in the Land of Promise,

where their way of life

would be visible to the nations,

so that Gentiles in all nations would be drawn

to His Way,

and to HIM

Who expressed His Will and Wishes

for all.  

Truly, our God YHWH,

has shown His great love for us,

by blessing us with His TORAH.  

Praised be His Holy Name!

 

Psalm 145

 A song of Praise, of David

[revised and combined from ESV and AST]

I will exalt You, my God the King,

and I will bless Your Name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless You 

and praise Your Name forever and ever.

Great is YHWH, and greatly to be praised,

and His greatness is unsearchable.

Each generation will praise Your deeds to the next

and of Your mighty deeds they will tell.

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty,

and on Your wondrous deeds,

I will meditate.

And of the might of Your awesome deeds

they will speak,

and Your greatness I shall relate.

They shall pour forth

the fame of Your abundant goodness

and shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

YHWH is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger

and abounding in steadfast love.

YHWH is good to all,

and His mercies are all on His works.

All Your works shall thank You,

O YHWH,

and your devout ones will bless You!

They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom

and tell of Your power,

to make known to the children of man

Your mighty deeds,

and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.

Your Kingdom

is an everlasting kingdom

and Your dominion endures

throughout all generations.

[YHWH is faithful in all His words

and kind in all His works.]

YHWH upholds all who are falling

and raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to You,

and You give them their food in due season.

You open Your hand,

You satisfy the desire of every living thing.

YHWH is righteous in all His ways

and kind in all His works.

YHWH is near to all who call on Him,

to all who call on Him in Truth.

He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him;

He also hears their cry and saves them.

YHWH protects all who love Him,

but all the wicked He will destroy.

May my mouth declare

the praise of YHWH,

and may all flesh bless

His Holy Name

forever and ever.

Image from www.lotterypost.com

 

 

 

Sabbath Meal

TORAH STUDY

 

 

HAVDALAH

 [Note:  Sonnet 43  was written by  Elizabeth Barrett Browning;  

 we are borrowing her poetry to express our love for YHWH our God, 

but with revisions to suit  a Sinaite’s creed]

How Do I Love Thee? 

How do I love Thee?

Let me count the ways.

 

I love Thee

to the depth and breadth and height

my soul can reach,

when feeling out of sight,

for the ends of being and ideal grace.

 

I love Thee

to the level of every day’s most quiet need, 

by sun and candlelight.

 

I love Thee freely,

as men strive for right;  

 

I love Thee purely,

as they turn [to] praise.

 

I love Thee

with the passion put to use

in my old griefs,

and with my childhood’s faith.

 

[I love Thee

with a love I seemed to [never have lost

despite the passing of time];

 

I love Thee

with the breath, smiles, tears,

of all my life;

 

[And if Thou,

YHWH

so choose to grant me my eternal rest],

 I shall but love Thee

[even to my end in this life.]

 

 

 

 

SHABBAT SHALOM!

On behalf of —

Sinai6000 Core Community

based in Baguio City, Philippines —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[February being ‘heart month’, it is fitting to devote this 2nd Sabbath of the month to love for God and fellowman.  How  best to express it?  In song of course; and so, another musical celebration of the Queen of Days.

Since we love Christian music which we’ve been used to when we belonged to that ‘religion’, we adapt the music but revise the lyrics to suit a Sinaite’s creed. 

 If you know the tune of the songs, a capella works; if not, reciting the lyrics also works, but there’s nothing like singing the hymns; after all, that’s why we alternate our recited and musical liturgies every other Sabbath. —Admin1.]

KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

 

 Music: As the Deer – Psalm 42

 

[As the Deer is a well-known praise and worship song by Martin J. Nystrom, a native of Seattle, Washington. Written in 1981, this song is based on Psalm 42:1

 ^{Music we love, words we expand in this rewrite of the lyrics.]}

 

1.  As the deer pants for flowing streams,

oh how my soul pants for You, my KING;

You alone fill my heart’s desire,

praise for You, love for You, I sing!

You alone are my strength my shield,

To You alone may my spirit yield,

YAHUWAH,

 You’re my LORD and MASTER,

on Your words, my whole life I build.

 

2.   You are One and the Only GOD,

 yes all the more You are my KING;

I love you, yes there is no other,

 love You more than most anything.

You alone fill my heart, my mind,

 in You alone does my spirit find . . .

peace of heart and true peace of mind,

 oh how I leave all my doubts behind.

 

3.  I want You more than gold or silver,

only You can satisfy.

Only You are the real Joy-Giver;

 live without You, oh how could I?

Fill my life with Your Living Word;

 oh fill my mind with Your Will,

Your Word,

Love for You shows in how

I live my life for You,

only You, my LORD.

 

Deuteronomy 10:12-19

 

Fear YHWH~

 

12 And now, Israel,

what does YHWH your God ask of you

but to fear YHWH your God,

to walk in obedience to him,

to love him, to serve YHWH your God

with all your heart and with all your soul,

13 and to observe YHWH’s

commands and decrees

that I am giving you today for your own good?

14 To YHWH your God belong the heavens,

even the highest heavens,

the earth and everything in it.

15  Yet YHWH set his affection

on your ancestors and loved them,

and he chose you, their descendants,

above all the nations—as it is today.

16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore,

and do not be stiff-necked any longer.

17 For YHWH your God

is God of gods and Lord of lords,

the great God, mighty and awesome,

who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.

18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow,

and loves the foreigner residing among you,

giving them food and clothing.

19 And you are to love those who are foreigners,

for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.

 

 

Deuteronomy 11:13-22

13 So if you faithfully obey the commands

I am giving you today—

to love YHWH your God

and to serve him with all your heart

and with all your soul—

14  “then I will send rain on your land in its season,

both autumn and spring rains,

so that you may gather in your grain,

new wine and olive oil.

15  I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle,

and you will eat and be satisfied.

16  Be careful,

or you will be enticed to turn away

and worship other gods and bow down to them.”

17  Then YHWH’s anger will burn against you,

and He will shut up the heavens

so that it will not rain

and the ground will yield no produce,

and you will soon perish from the good land

YHWH is giving you.

18  Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds;

tie them as symbols on your hands

and bind them on your foreheads.

19  Teach them to your children,

talking about them when you sit at home

and when you walk along the road,

when you lie down and when you get up.

20  Write them on the door-frames of your houses

and on your gates,

21  so that your days and the days of your children

may be many in the land

YHWH swore to give your ancestors,

as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

22  If you carefully observe all these commands

I am giving you to follow—

to love YHWH your God,

to walk in obedience to him

and to hold fast to him . . . .

 

 

“I Love You Lord”/Revised Lyrics

[For an interesting background of this song ” written by Laurie Klein:  aliveworshipexperience.blogspot.com/2007/12/test_9934.html‎.]

 

Vs. 1 [Original Lyrics]

I love You LORD

and I give my own to worship You,

O my soul rejoice

Take joy, my KING in what You hear,

Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.

 

Vs. 2  [Sinaite]

How can I show my deep love for You,

do words suffice from a heart that’s true,

must action show all of what I know,

In my lifetime will I prove my true love for You.

 

 

BLESSINGS

[Original music: We Gather Together to Seek the Lord’s Blessing,

Revised Lyrics]

 

1.  We bless You YAHUWAH,

 the Source of our joy

as we welcome Your Sabbath,

the Queen of all days!

This wine that we drink

and this bread we share together,

Like manna and the water

that flowed from the Rock.

 

2.  Much joy to our lives

does Your blessed Rest bring us,

We rest from our labor,

we rest from our toil;

Just as You commanded,

just as You modeled for us,

We bless Your Sabbath day,

the Queen of all days.

 

 3. We thank You dear FATHER

for blessing our family,

The husbands and wives

who are with us today,

Beloved who’ve left us,

our loved ones who are with us,

Our sons and daughters all,

wherever they be.

 

4.  How bless-ed are we

to be with one another,

Of one heart and mind,

we’re devoted to You,

We honor Your Sabbath,

You’re LORD of our Sabbath,

We bless Your Holy Name,

YAHUWAH our KING.

 

HAVDALAH

 

[ “Ceaseless Praise,” Music by Tom Fetke

Original Lyrics by Frances Ridley Havertal]

 

1.  Take my life and let it be

consecrated LORD to Thee;

Take my hands and let them move

at the impulse of Thy Love;

at the impulse of Thy Love.

2.  Take my feet and let them be

swift and beautiful for Thee;

Take my voice and let me sing

always only for my KING,

always only for my KING.

 

2.  Take my lips and let them be

filled with messages from Thee;

Take my silver and my gold,

not a mite would I withhold,

not a mite would I withhold.

3.  Take my love my God I pour

at Thy feet its treasure store,

Take myself and I will be

ever, only, all for Thee,

 Thine forevermore to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shabbat shalom!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

As earthly time moves on

to the second month of the Gregorian calendar year,

we remember how the Creator instructed the Israelites to reckon time:

For the day ,

it is the visual setting and rising of the sun,

from sundown to sundown.

For the week ,

there is no visual reminder except for the Sabbath keeper

to keep track of days one to six,

so that all may know that on the seventh,

we welcome the Queen of Days:

We enter the dimension in time

of the TRUE LORD of the Sabbath,

YHWH,

a ‘timely’ memorial to the Creator and His Creation,

Who ceased from His creative work,

not because He was tired or needed rest,

but because He had completed His Creation to perfection,

which He declared not only ‘good’ but ‘very good’!

It is a Sabbath as well

for the first man and woman

–representative humanity–

a day to cease

from earthly strivings and concerns, 

from labor and toil to provide rest for body and mind;

and to remember and welcome

the Lord and His Sabbath

into one’s heart and home,

in the company of family and loved ones,

in fellowship with like-minded believers

and worshippers of —

YHWH,

Creator,

Lord of the Sabbath.

As for reckoning time according to the month,

it is the first sighting of a sliver of the silvery moon,

visible to primal humanity,

who had not yet learned how to deal with the passing of time on earth.

And as though it were not enough to take pleasure in viewing the

weekly,

monthly,

yearly

spectacles in the visible heavens

that all living creatures could take pleasure viewing on ordinary nights,

our Creator surprises us

with more naturally occurring phenomena 

such as the ‘Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse’ 

which was visible on earth at this time in year 2018,

a rare celestial phenomenon

that had not occurred since 1982,

that was viewed, ‘free for all’, 

by young and old, rich or poor!

Interested or not,  it was there

for the ‘sighted’ who have eyes to see

and hopefully, with spiritual vision as well,

 FOR —

what is the use of being endowed

with eyes and brain,

if neither vision nor intellect 

recognize the existence of

a Designer-

Creator-

First Cause-

GOD,

Who has spoken to humanity

from Sinai,

and Who continues to speak

through His Creation—

YHWH is His Name!

 

Indeed,

what a great God is our Creator,

Who existed before the beginning of earthly time,

Who spoke the world into existence

in Genesis/Bereshith,

YHWH is His Name—

Who cared about His crown of creation,

 Humanity,

Who taught us how to live our precious lives

as measured and treasured moments

on planet earth,

 according to predictable cycles of nature,

in seasons for agricultural guidance,

as early as the culmination of creation week.

 

As we begin a new month,

may we remember to praise 

the Creator of that moon and all the heavenly bodies,

the Designer of the luminaries in the heavens,

the Giver of Light to our darkened  world,

the Source of light that illuminates the pathway toward Him.

 

His other ‘light’ on earth is the Torah –

the Way to Life

in the custody of His Chosen People,

His ‘light to the Gentiles.’

 

May the time come

that all humanity

will embrace His Torah

as their Guideline for living

on this planet earth, 

so that all will call upon the Name YHWH,

as the prophets of Israel prophesied 

for the end of the age.

Indeed may that time come soon,

according to His perfect timing!

Blessed be our Creator God, 

True Light of our life,

YHWH,

Blessed be His Holy Name!

 

 

Psalm 8

 

O YHWH, our Lord,

how majestic is Your Name in all the earth!

 

You have set Your glory in the heavens.

Through the praise of children and infants

You have established a stronghold

against Your enemies,

to silence the foe and the avenger.

 

When I consider Your heavens,

the work of Your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,

what is mankind that You are mindful of them,

human beings that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.

You made them rulers over the works of Your hands;

You put everything under their feet:

all flocks and herds,

and the animals of the wild,

the birds in the sky,

and the fish in the sea,

all that swim the paths of the seas.

O YHWH, our Lord,

how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

 

 

 Psalm 8

—set to music by Tom Fettke and lyricist Linda Lee Johnson;

Listen to or sing along with this rendition by the UC (University of the Cordilleras) Chorale] as you read the lyrics:

When I gaze into the night skies and see the work of Your fingers;
The moon and stars suspended in space.

Oh what is man, of what is man that You are mindful of him?
You have given man a crown of glory and honor,
And have made him a little lower than the angels.
You have put him in charge of all creation:
the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea.

O what is man, O what is man that You are mindful of him?

O Lord, our God the majesty and glory of Your Name
Transcends the earth and fills the heavens.
O Lord, our God; little children praise You perfectly,
And so would we, and so would we . . . .

Hallelu YAH, Hallelu YAH!

The majesty and glory of Your name;

Hallelu YAH, halleluYAH, 

The majesty and glory of Your name;

HalleluYAH, halleluYAH, halleluYAH, halleluYAH, 

HalleluYAH halleluYAH, hallelu . . . . .

hallelu YAH.

 

 

 

BLESSINGS

Blessed are You,

YHWH our God,

Who created the fruit of the vine,

symbolic of the joy we feel in knowing You,

and in blessing Your Name,

and the joy we derive

in celebrating Your Sabbath,

the joy of fellowship

with like-minded friends,

the joy from family,

the joy in savoring food

to nourish our body,

the joy in living each day —

for the time You have allotted

to each one of us in our lifetime.

 

For the joy of living each precious day

for You,

Who gives meaning to our very existence,

O YHWH,

our Lord and our God,

We thank You!  

To Life,

l’chaim,

mabuhay!

Blessed are You, O YHWH our God,

Who has blessed generation after generation

in our family:

[name them]

grandparents we had the privilege of knowing,

loving parents who participated in the miracle of giving life,

siblings with whom we shared our growing up years,

spouses with whom we united in marriage,

children who are blessings to our lives,

extended members of our family:

in-laws, grandchildren, 

 and household staff who attend to our needs,

May You continue to bless all of them,

including those who are not here with us.

 

It is our desire that all of them 

will come to know You,

love You,

and worship You,

just as we have been privileged 

to experience You

in our lifetime.

 

 

And a special prayer,

 O Lord YHWH,

for the multitudes in Southeast Asia

who are threatened by yet another killer-virus

that have already taken thousands of lives in the

country of China where it originated —

we pray that this plague will be contained

by medical intervention and individual self-protective measures,

in all the areas where the disease has already spread —

we pray for protection for our families, friends, colleagues,

and for ourselves; 

for we know, Lord YHWH,

that when we have done everything on our part

within our ability and capability,

still, we leave the rest to You,

and commit ourselves and our loved ones,

into Your Hands, 

O LORD of LIFE!

Amen.

 

 

SABBATH MEAL

 

 

HAVDALAH

 

Today, may there be peace within:

peace of mind,

peace in  heart,

peace in hearth and home,

peace in our city,

peace in our country, 

and most importantly —

peace in the Land of Israel,

for all the mixed inhabitants who live there today.

May a true “sabbath”

—a ceasing of hostility–

be observed among Israelis and non-Israelis,

and all mixed ethnic, cultural and religious groupings

who are based in the Land of Promise,

find true peace in their lives,

from now and for all time.

 

May the love of our ever gracious GOD, 

LORD and KING,

fill our hearts so fully

that it manifests in our daily life,

finding expressions

in word as well as in deed,

in sharing of ourselves and of our resources

with those in need.

 

May we make a difference

in the lives of others,

that they might see

the Source of our joy

in simply knowing—

the God of Israel,

the God of all nations,

Creator,

Lord and Master of the universe,

Lord of the Sabbath.

Chosen God of Sinaites,

YHWH is His Name!

The Name above all names,

YHWH is LORD,

YHWH is GOD,

YHWH is ONE.

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shabbat Shalom to Sinaites  all over the world,

and to our Christian 

and Messianic friends

to all who celebrate  the True Sabbath,

on the Seventh day of the week!

 

 

 

 

[The ‘musical Sabbath’ . . . all it means is that instead of reciting prayers, we sing!  As we’ve repeatedly explained, from our Christian roots we have learned to love ImageChristian hymnody but since the lyrics no longer express our new-found faith, we have superimposed our lyrics which are more faithful to the Sinaite’s Creed as based on the teachings of the Torah and directed to YHWH, the Name we declare as the God we worship.  If you’re not familiar with the music, the instrumental accompaniment serves as guide; just make sure you dry-run the accompaniment earlier.   And if all else fails, just recite the lyrics, it works as well.  Have a joyful celebration, dear Sabbath Keeper!—Admin1].

 

————————————-

 

Kindle the Sabbath Lights

 

Blessed are You, YHWH, our God,

Creator of the universe, Revelator on Sinai,

LORD of the Sabbath,

Who sanctifies us by Your commandments, 

Who has commanded us to set apart a day of rest;

Who created the Sabbath Day,

that all humanity might cease from their daily striving,

so that all might spend the time

to reflect on the wonders of Your visible and invisible world,

to ponder the magnificence, marvels and majesty

of the Maker of all that exist;

to thank You,  O YHWH, Giver of Life,

for every breath we take as we live day by day, moment by moment,

on this life-sustaining and beautiful planet Earth!

As we kindle these Sabbath lights,

may we remember to be who we are

as reflectors of Your Light,

and live the life prescribed by Your Torah,

that we might please You in every aspect of our living,

and be a blessing to others,

Amen.

 

[Medley on original music of:  “Open our eyes, Lord”;/”Open my eyes that I may see”/REVISED LYRICS]

Open our eyes, LORD,

to truth we have known not

because we’ve been blinded,

because we have sought not,

Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen,

the sound of Your True voice

for so long we’ve heard not,

———————

1.  Open my eyes that I may see,

glimpses of Truth Thou hast for me,

place in my hands the wonderful key,

Torah Truth that shall set me free,

silently now I wait for Thee, ready my God,

Thy Will to see,

Light from Thy Truth inspires in me, all I can be.

 

2.  Open my ears that I may hear

only the Truth Thou speakest clear,

and as Thy Words just fall on my ear,

false teachings all but disappear,

all I have learned in previous years, 

gladly I leave them without tears,

so much to hear, what’s there to fear,

God’s Truth—-hold dear.

 

3.  Open my mouth that I may say 

only Thy Truth, from day to day,

open my heart and let me prepare 

words Thou hast taught me thus to share,

so many searching hearts are there,  

seeking minds we find everywhere,

to them we bring Thy MESSAGE clear, 

that they may hear.

 

——————–

[JPS] Psalm 65

Praise befits You in Zion, O God;

vows are paid to You;

all mankind comes to You,

You who hear prayer.  

When all manner of sins overwhelm me,

it is You who forgive our iniquities.  

Happy is the man You choose and bring near

to dwell in Your courts;

may we be sated with the blessings of Your house,

Your holy temple.  

Answer us with victory through awesome deeds,

O God, our deliverer,

in whom all the ends of the earth

and the distant seas

put their trust;

who by His power fixed the mountains firmly,

who is girded with might,

who stills the raging seas,

the raging waves,

and tumultuous peoples.  

Those who live at the ends of the earth are awed by Your signs;

You make the lands of sunrise and sunset about for joy.  

You take care of the earth and irrigate it;

You enrich it greatly,

with the channel of God full of water;

You provide grain for men;

for so do You prepare it.  

Saturating its furrows,

leveling its ridges,

You soften it with showers,

You bless its growth.

You crown the year with Your bounty;

fatness is distilled in Your paths;

the pasturelands distill it;

the hills are girded with joy.  

The meadows are clothed with flocks,

the valleys mantled with grain;

they raise a shout, they break into song.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[“Breathe on me, Breath of God”Revised Lyrics]

 

1.  Symbol of joy, this wine,

‘joy’ from our Lord divine,

blessings in life are yours and mine,

let’s all drink  ‘to Life’ —  ‘L’chaim’!

2. This bread of life we share

nourishing daily fare,

sunshine and water, breath and air,

what more need we ask, it’s there.

3.  More than this wine, this bread,

fam’ly brings so much joy,

husbands and wives, and children dear,

wherever they are, they’re here.

 

4.  Always in mind and heart,

even though we’re apart,

loved ones are precious gifts from God,

From HIM, may they not depart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Havdalah

[Original Tune: Turn your eyes upon Jesus/Revised Lyrics]

 

1.  Dear seeker of God are you searching 

for truth, for more light, for THE WAY,

look back to the start of your journey,

the map that has always been there . . .

CHO:  Turn your eyes toward Sinai,

that’s where the Almighty was seen,

in the burning bush, in the flashing light

what a vision, a glorious sight!

 

2. If only the world would remember

the Words He had spoken back there,

in the wilderness, out in the desert,

the truth all humanity should hear . . .

CHO: Hear O Israel hear! [or ‘Hear, ye nations all, hear!]

YAHUWAH,  True God, He is One,

You shall love YAHUWAH with all your heart,

all your being,  and all of your might.

 

3.  His Words will not fail you—He promised,

believe and obey and be blessed,

but when there is failure, there’s pardon,

if you would but humbly repent . . .

CHO:  Turn your eyes on the TRUE ‘ONE’,

YAHUWAH the First and the Last,

No one comes before, there are not ‘two’ more,

HE was One, He’s still One, will be One!

Yes, YAHUWAH, Lord God, He’s the ONE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shabbat shalom!

 

On behalf of Sinai6000 Core Community,

 

 

NSB@S6K